The Animal Rights Coalition operates Ethique Nouveau; a vegan boutique, where all purchases help fund our animal advocacy programs, at 317 W. 48th St. in Minneapolis. The ARC office is located at the same address.

Vegan University Mentor Form

Under 18 must have a signed parental consent form (we will email you the form)

Mailing Address: *

City: *

State:

Zip Code: *

What is the most important reason why you are enrolling in Vegan University:

Animal Rights

Environment

Health & Fitness

Spiritual Reasons

Human Rights

Other

Please specify:

Which pledge works for you?

I would like to try out being vegan. I pledge to be fully vegan for one month from my start date. During that time I pledge not to consume any meat, dairy, or other products from animals or purchase any products from animals.

I would like to try out being vegan, but I would like to make a transition first. I pledge to phase out all products from animals and then be fully vegan for one month.

I want to be vegan for life. I can begin right from my start date. I pledge not to consume any meat, dairy, or other products from animals or purchase any products from animals.

I want to be vegan for life, but I would like to make a transition first. I pledge to phase out all products from animals with the pledge of being fully vegan.

Please indicate the date you’d like to start your vegan pledge:

Have you ever tried being vegan before?

Yes

No

Please choose your top three Vegan Mentor candidates:

Click on each name below to read the mentor’s bio.

Amy

x

Back in 2003, I became a vegetarian at the request of my youngest son (who is now an adult). I hadn’t realized I was still contributing to the violence and death of animals, and Facebook vegans brought me the rest of the way to veganism. The Animal Rights Coalition and Vegan University have helped support me on my journey, and I would like to offer that same support to you.

I can offer you phone, text, online, and in person support. If you want recipes, someone to go grocery shopping with, to tell you about what you can eat at a restaurant, or to join you at a vegan meetup, I’m your gal. If you need backup on your Facebook wall… I’ve got you covered. You need a batch of chocolate chip cookies? I can help you make some that will fool an omnivore. Dismayed because the world (or a particular relative) seems too cruel? I’ll offer hope!

I love food. A lot. I do believe that I love food more than I ever did as a omnivore. My husband and I enjoy baking and cooking. We grow a lot of our own food, and don’t rely on processed foods as much as we used to. I have two amazing jobs – a care provider for senior citizens and a professional henna artist. In my free time I ballroom dance, read a lot of books, hang out with vegan friends, and volunteer at a no kill cat shelter. I’m a vocal animal rights/abolition activist and I’m active in the ARC community.

Ben

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Oh, hello there. I am a vocal abolitionist and walk a fine line between health-conscious foodie and junk food connoisseur. I recognize the importance that food can have on our overall health while also living in the reality that our modern, industrialized schedules often leave little time to eat well. But I don’t view veganism as about food at all; I simply eat a diet that is in line with my beliefs on how living, feeling creatures should be treated (or in a lot of cases, how they should not be treated). That said, I do have an active interest in nutrition and health.

I went vegan in a small agricultural town in South Dakota. There were no co-ops or Pizza Luces, so I subsisted primarily on oatmeal for three meals a day. Talk about mundane. After about a year of being the only wingnut doing that, I moved to the Twin Cities. Since then, I have met an awesome and supportive network of individuals who share my beliefs in the inherent value of all living beings. The hardest part of going vegan for me was the lack of social support. Everyone I knew was big into hunting, fishing … you know, non-vegan activities. As a mentor, I really want to be your support! Feeling alone is discouraging, but large meetings can also be really isolating if you are new, and I want to help you as you figure out what veganism means to you.

When not advocating for animals, I enjoy reading (primarily fiction, but also academic works on culture and history), turning culinary disaster into delicious triumph (as Bob Ross said, there are no mistakes. Just happy accidents), and attending punk rock basement shows. I currently reside in the Seward neighborhood. Two blocks from a Pizze Luce, no less.

Ciree

x

I was drawn to be a vegetarian at age 17 and a vegan in my late 20’s because of my deep love for animals. My advocacy has taken many forms besides existing on plants over the wild 46 years I’ve been on this magical and baffling journey. I’ve been involved with many animal rescue efforts and used my writing, social media, and photography skills to support animal liberating causes. I hope to see a world where animals are treated as first class citizens by the majority before I take the final dirt nap.

For fun I hike and bike, both mountain and road, and love to do anything that involves being able to bring my four dogs along. Comedy clubs and funny people are my saving grace and there just aren’t enough of them! I’m crazy about long, drawn out dinner parties with interesting, kind people. Fireflies, Northern California, coconut milk, and walking through the woods at night are also favorites.

When people begin their veganism journey I see a lot of investigating. There are new flavors, ingredients, and methods involved. Instead of just taking out something and eating the way you used to minus the offending ingredients, the door opens to see food in a completely different way as you expose yourself to new ethnic kitchen practices and places to shop.

This is where I come in as a valuable resource for you. I’ve done a lot of the above mentioned in my long vegan career. I’ve catered vegan weddings and events and had to cook for different nationalities, medical conditions, and stubborn palates. I’ve gotten lots of resistance to the time I dedicate to animals. I don’t believe human life is more important than other life forms and I’ve felt that way since I was a little kid.

I make my living as a writer these days, but still act as personal chef for a small group. I love being in the kitchen when there’s magic in the air and Skype can allow you and I to do virtual kitchen coaching or just shoot the breeze, brainstorming on ways to make your vegan life as much fun as possible.

I’m here for you. Chances are I’ve experienced what you’re going through right now.

Jason

x

My path towards wellness started almost 8 years ago upon realization that I had a problem with alcohol and needed to quit. I have been sober for nearly 8 years and I believe my journey began when I quit drinking alcohol and it is still evolving today.

After I became sober I went through a number of life-changing experiences including marriage, children, divorce, financial struggles and re-marriage. Throughout all of this I sustained a considerable amount of psychological stress on my body. I credit the practice of yoga with being able to help me positively manage stressors in my life. This is such a critical component of my overall well-being and I find that I quickly become paralyzed by life if I am not able to effectively manage stress in my life. I currently practice yoga daily, I enjoy running, cross-training and most recently started P90X training.

My personal experience with plant powered living started about 3 years ago when I made a conscious decision to stop eating animals. I am not sure what prompted me to stop except it seemed to conflict with the healthy lifestyle that I was trying to attain. My family was plagued with health issues including lung cancer (which took the life of my father), digestive disorders, arthritis, renal failure (and subsequent kidney transplantation donated by my mother to my brother) and many other health issues. I was a smoker and shortly after I quit eating animals I gave up smoking as well.

About a year after I gave up eating animals I was presented with a copy of “The China Study” by my former father-in-law who follows a vegan lifestyle. I humored him and decided to read the book. I was fascinated by the content and made a personal resolution to become vegan before I was halfway done with the book. I have maintained this vegan lifestyle since my initial exposure to “The China Study” and have expanded the scope of my vegan lifestyle to all areas of my life. I do not believe that non-human animals are for our use for any reason including food, entertainment, clothing or research. I have taken part in many peaceful demonstrations in support of animal rights and I am a current member of the Animal Rights Coalition based in Minneapolis, MN.

Most recently I was selected to be PETA’s Sexiest Vegetarian Next Door and I won a trip to Hawaii! Currently I am following Douglas Graham’s 80/10/10 Raw Vegan diet and consume mostly fruit with a balance of greens and fresh vegetables. My fitness levels are increasing as my 37 year old body starts to resemble that of a much younger person. I have experienced near limitless amounts of energy and want to be able to share my experience, strength, and struggles with others who are looking to improve their lifestyle and live a compassionate life free of any and all animal products.

Jenna

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Hi! I’m Jenna. I have been vegan for about two and a half years, and have loved every minute of it. As a vegan who knows a lot of other vegans, can I first say that the myth about vegans not being able to eat anything is just that, a myth! Vegans love food. Why? Because we feel great after eating our food, we know where it came from, how awesome it tastes, and that our food doesn’t contribute to an industry that hurts innocent animals.

Growing up in Wisconsin, many of my family members tend to be meat-eating, beer-drinking, fishing, hunting folks. It also happens to be “land of the cheese heads”, so transitioning to a vegan lifestyle seemed like a challenge, at first. Prior to going full-on vegan, I was a vegetarian for 8 or 9 years. Having always had a connection with animals, I decided early on that I did not want to eat my friends. However, when I went to college and my passion for animal rights, activism, and the environment grew, I realized that supporting the egg and dairy industry was just as cruel as eating meat. Veganism rocks. There are plenty of reasons to be vegan…and very few not to be!

Let’s face it: veganism is not a trend, but a growing movement that will continue to grow. Why? Because it just makes sense. Veganism is the best thing you can do for your body, mind, the environment, and of course, our appreciative furry/scaly/hairy friends, the non-human animals.

So, I am here as your mentor, to show you how and why veganism rocks. It’s easy (super freaking easy, really), fun, makes you feel great, and I would love to introduce you to the awesome local vegan community. I come with the knowledge of books, documentaries, a great network of vegan friends, and Google powers, of course. Please, ask me questions, take me with you to the grocery store, or ask me to help you cook dinner. Whatever helps you go vegan or stay vegan, I am willing and able to help. Because the world needs more vegans. And you should be one of them!

Marcy

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My name is Marcy and my journey to veganism began over 20 years ago. I’d been a vegetarian since 8th grade. However after reading how the dairy and egg industries are the same as the meat industries (all include torture and slaughter), I couldn’t undo that knowledge and went vegan before my 16th birthday. I didn’t know any other vegans; there were no smartphones with apps to find vegan items and no one knew what the word “vegan” meant. I learned to defend my ethics where it matters.

To me, being vegan is not about food “purity” or even health, although I do feel strongly about the rights of low-income people to access healthy nourishing food. I am the committee chair of North Vegans, an ARC program focused on ending healthy food “deserts” in North Minneapolis and nearby metro areas. We help to make veganism and plant-based diets accessible to our Northside neighbors, and in turn to make local vegan voices more diverse. I firmly believe we should avoid the stereotype that veganism is only for privileged people who shop at Whole Foods. Veganism is about activism in everyday living, and that’s how I approach it. It’s just the start of an overall purpose – to do the least harm and the most good, to join together to fight speciesism, racism, sexism, classism, homophobia, and so on.

I know to stay vegan you need to be a practical vegan. And I am very practical. I can teach you all about “accidentally vegan” foods you never knew were vegan, and making easy affordable meals that don’t require much prep time. I love to bake. I’ll also teach you about the important non-food parts of being vegan, within whatever resources you have handy - you don't need expensive gadgets to be vegan. I’m easily reachable by text or Facebook messaging and with advance notice we can meet up for fun, low-cost vegan activities.

Matt

x

Veganism is the future.

I found veganism and therefore compassion for all animals in a roundabout way. I believe that what started me on this path is caring for the health of others and myself. That opened the door to organic foods and fairly traded food products. Eventually my love of nature and animals had me buying free-range, grass fed, organic animal products. I did this for years and met many farmers and visited a “humane” slaughterhouse. I even went so far as to take up hunting for meat as I believed it was the most humane way.

All of that changed overnight when I watched Earthlings and another speech explaining the tenets of veganism. I am truly thankful for having that experience!

I was a little nervous at first that I would find some problems with veganism and have to go back to eating animals, which I had begun to view in a completely different way. To my immense happiness further research has only revealed more and more evidence and reasons why a vegan diet is appropriate, completely healthy, and the way of the future for humanity.

What I can offer you is my time, knowledge and support as you work on becoming vegan and after. I like to take a holistic approach to veganism so I believe in buying products that are organic, created by people that are treated with respect, and with practices that don’t damage the environment.

I also enjoy staying physically active and eating a healthy diet, so that my goals aren’t hindered by health problems.

I am on Facebook, have a cell phone, email, can meet in person, etc.

Megan

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Hi, I’m Megan. I’ve been vegan since late 2005. I made the vegan transition without taking a pit stop in Lacto-Ovo Land, like most vegans. I was working at a bookstore, and was there when the first copy of Skinny Bitch came off the truck. This book had received no publicity at first and I picked it up because I was in charge of the diet/nutrition sections. I decided to read it, not knowing that it was about veganism. Once I figured that out, I opened my mind and kept reading. It made me say “I didn’t know that.”

I soon embarked on a 30-day vegan experiment. I bought soy milk, veggie burgers, Toffutti cream cheese, and my first bottle of Bragg’s. I also remember saying, “If soy ice cream sucks, this might not work out.” Luckily, it doesn’t suck. I didn’t have any vegan friends at the time, so I relied heavily on the internet and books. During my 30 days, I read a LOT. At the end of it, not only did I feel 100% better physically and mentally, but I knew that I could no longer be a part of the horrors I’d read about. I threw away all the meat in my freezer.

I’m a big foodie. I won’t even tell you the horrible things I’ve eaten in my carnivorous past. I basically had to learn to cook all over again, and I’m a much better cook because of it. I joined the Post Punk Kitchen forums and bought a ton of cookbooks. It was on the PPK forums that I found out about ARC’s Vegan Drinks. I still had no “real life” vegan friends, and I wanted to become more active with animal rights, so I went to ARC’s Cosmopolitan-soaked Vegan Drinks event in March 2009. It was there that I met other vegans, washed a lot of martini glasses, and the rest, as they say, is history. I now have a vegan blog (downhomevegan.com) and always participate in any events that call for cooking or baking and sharing.

I am not what you would call a “warm and fuzzy” vegan. I tend to tell it like it is and point out when excuses are being made. Animals don’t care about excuses. I also discourage any mention of how “difficult” or “expensive” veganism is.There are a million reasons why this is not the case.

I will answer the phone at all hours of the day or night if you have questions. I will happily answer text messages you send while standing in the aisles of Rainbow like, “What the halle is DATUM?” I will bake muffins for you. I’ll hold your hand through your first trip to Ecopolitan for a 100% raw vegan lunch. I’ll hold the tissues for you while you watch Earthings. And I hope you don’t mind, but if there’s Silk Nog to be had, I may crash your family Christmas. Just sayin’.

Melissa (full)

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I am a health conscious vegan. I enjoy eating “comfort foods” and I enjoy trying new recipes. I watch my sugar and sodium intake and I am interested in reading labels to determine what ingredients are actually packaged in foods. I am not a big tofu gal nor do I enjoy those fake lunch meats on the market, but I do enjoy easy-to-prepare meals that my non-vegan co-workers will salivate over when I bring them to lunch.

Many of my family members have dealt with diabetes and other health issues. Therefore, I’m strongly interested in the heath benefits of veganism and how to avoid diseases such as diabetes and cancer. I am interested in learning how the body is affected by foods. I enjoy reading and listening to folks like Dr. Mercola and Dr. Barnard. I am also interested in environmental issues and how human behavior affects our planet and the animals that live here. I am interested in researching and talking to others about the impact of cleaning agents such as sodium laurel sulfate on human and aquatic animals.

I am a social worker by day and enjoy volunteering by night. I am a human and animal rights activist through and through. Besides ARC, I volunteer with Small Dog Rescue of Minnesota and enjoy contributing to the rescue of fur babies. I also volunteer at puppy mill demonstrations and enjoy talking to others about how to properly care for their furry friends. In my spare time, I’m often found playing with my two Chihuahuas. I do not have any children, so my fur babies are my kids.

Rachel

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I began my vegan journey about a year ago, in the winter of 2013. I watched one documentary and I was committed from there on forward to live a compassionate, cruelty-free life. “How quickly your life can change; Your feelings, your thoughts, your beliefs. What’s important to you can change in a day.”

I moved to Minnesota from Los Angeles roughly 5½ years ago. While in Los Angeles, I was a vaudevillian and sideshow circus performer. I have always loved animals. And I truly believed in the myth that if I consumed cows, chickens, and pigs that roamed in pastures, I was making a humane choice. I see now that my definition of humane was wrong. But I understand fully how I was conditioned, coaxed, and encouraged to think this way.

When it comes to vegan food – I love it all. I love healthy shakes, juices, salads, and smoothies but I also know how to get down dirty with a bowl of mock beef and eggrolls on the side. Right now I’m in the process of making my own cheese (sharp cheddar, blue, mozzarella) – all from plant-based materials. I’m super excited and I have a feeling I’m going to be everyone’s best friend as soon as they’re done.

I have both read and watched a lot about veganism to educate myself so that my arguments and conviction stand firm. I unequivocally reject slavery and that’s why I’m an abolitionist vegan. I can be there for you through any point of your journey. I love helping out and giving advice – I won’t mind being called, sent text messages, or sent emails. And if you need human interaction – I’m good for that too. Cooking classes? Of course!

Ryan

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I’m what you may call a “junk food” vegan. I LOVE vegan junk food! But don’t let that fool you, I’ve been studying nutrition since going vegan. I’ve participated in the Cancer Project and read everything I can get my hands on about healthy vegan diets and how plant foods maintain optimum health. Speaking of reading, I love to read. My favorite books are those that make you think in ways you haven’t before, or books with themes about justice and how we interact with each other. I’m also a movie SNOB. I don’t like to be hit over the head with garbage – challenge me, amuse me, cause me to emote, or don’t bother.

I am married and do not have any children, nor do I necessarily want any. I want to travel and then travel some more and when I get home I want to travel again. I don’t like being tied down to a lifestyle (read: house/kids/companion animals) because I’m always evolving and my interests change frequently. I’ve got the attention span of Dora in Finding Nemo. I like to do yoga, rock climbing, and I bike pretty much everywhere during the summer. I hate winter and being cold, but I don’t really like summer and being too hot either. My husband is NOT vegan.

I live near Uptown and I love being in that area because there is so much to do. The northern suburbs scare me (that’s where I’m from). My real passion is activism and I plan to do that all day, every day, once I win the lottery. I am very active in animal rights and I love spending time with my vegan friends. I am not shy and frequently say what I’m thinking. I’m the person who will say what others wish they would, that is to say, when people challenge me or my values, I bite back and hard. To some, that’s a great quality. To others it can be a little abrasive. That’s not to say I don’t know when to let something go; some people aren’t worth it and I know (usually) when to keep my mouth shut and walk away. Others might describe me as outgoing, bold, feisty, reliable, and loyal.

I am not a religious person but I’m very interested in my own spiritual journey and I love metaphysical stuff, and I do believe that all paths lead to “home” eventually.

Steve

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I went vegetarian in January 2002 at the request of my youngest son. He was seven at the time and had some good friends who were vegan, and he was very passionate about animals, so he wanted to go vegetarian. I was never comfortable eating meat, especially when I thought about who I was eating. Eating flesh from the bone always felt wrong. So I decided that I would go vegetarian with my son. Since I did a majority of the cooking and grocery shopping, the other three in our family were brought along for the ride. We found it easy to transition to vegetarian, but I was one of those that “just can’t give up my cheese” and “how can I cook/bake without eggs and milk?” vegetarians. Also, I did not educate myself to the plight of the egg layers and milk producers. In October 2012, my wife said that she needed to go vegan. She had seen pictures and videos of the horrors that are the milk and egg industry. I said right there and then, let’s do it. I found the first month or two a little tough, as I couldn’t have my favorite snack of nachos, or a milk chocolate candy bars, plus being right at the Halloween season. I told myself over and over that it is not about me, it is about those that are being taken advantage of.

I have found that the internet has really made being a vegan easy. With organizations such as ARC, having a good support system and community really helped the transition. I love to cook and shop (I know crazy). So I have found many great vegan chefs willing to share so many recipes both online and in book form.

While animal rights is the driving force behind me going vegan, I have found myself going more towards healthy eating and exercise as a vegan. I went from a blood pressure of 140/95 to a steady 110/80 and a total cholesterol of 220 to 160, in just less than a year. I have more energy, so I excercise on a regular basis. There are a number of fitness websites dedicated to vegan fitness and body building. And most of the food blogs are geared towards healthy eating. Although, I do know plenty that are not really healthy and am happy to share as I enjoy an indulgence.

I am willing to help in any area you may need assistance. Grocery shopping, cooking, exercising, discussions. I feel that spreading the vegan philosophy is the least I can do for our fellow earthlings.

Troy

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I grew up in Shakopee with my parents and two older sisters (both are vegetarians). After High School, I graduated from the University of Wisconsin – River Falls. Now I have a career as a web developer in Minnetonka where I’ve worked since the Summer of 2008. I became a vegan in early 2012 and was a vegetarian for the seven years prior to that.

I became a vegetarian to resolve the inner moral conflict that I was experiencing as a result of arbitrarily giving greater value to some animals (e.g. my family’s dog while growing up), yet not affording any value at all to other animals (e.g. pigs). Later on, as I learned more about and thought critically of the dairy and egg industry, I realized the same moral trappings applied to animals used (but kept alive) for food and other products. This is when I realized that vegetarianism was not a destination, but just a step in the right direction, so I became a vegan.

As a vegetarian, I continually decreased my consumption of milk and eggs as I knew they were not healthy, and at the very least, they were produced in a way that was not ideal (ethically and morally); however, the idea of completely eliminating these products scared me. I thought veganism would require sacrificing some of my favorite foods (e.g. pizza, some old family baking recipes). Little did I know that veganism would give me much more than I could ever possibly lose (not just in “karma” or feeling good, but in amazing food I otherwise would not have tried).

Although I do enjoy pondering the moral and ethical implications of my actions, I spend most of my time cooking, baking, working out, running, watching movies and TV shows, spending time with friends, eating pizza, reading and volunteering.

Becoming or being a vegan is as difficult as or as easy as the knowledge, support, and resources at one’s disposal. If afforded to me as your mentor, I eagerly await the opportunity to fill any gaps in any of these areas to make becoming and being a vegan, the enjoyable, enriching experience it should be for everyone. If you want someone who can give you practical advice and recommendations, truly and deeply empathize with your experiences, as well as help and guide you in any way humanly possible, I am the person for you.

First Choice:

Second Choice:

Third Choice:

Please describe your meat, dairy, and egg consumption as it stands right now:

Are there any special needs we should be aware of?

Why have you decided you want to be vegan?

What do you think you might miss most or what will be the toughest thing for you to give up?